Over Heaven
by A Sack Of Trash
Summary: The year is 2011. The city of Tokyo, Japan is the ground for conflict between factions of a race of cannibalistic humans, known as Ghouls. As the Ghouls bicker and fight over petty matters, a ornate coffin is pulled from the coast by a fishing boat, setting free a being long since forgotten.
1. Awaken

As the engine room burned around them, Dio could feel Jonathan's hold around him slacken as the life left his nemesis's body.

Dio pried himself from the grasp of the freshly dead corpse, and began to pull Jonathan's body towards the ornate, gold plated coffin using his vampiric tentacles.

If he was to get out of here alive and enact his revenge, he would have to act quickly. Dio started to chew at Jonathan's neck, like a man dying of hunger.

Jonathan's head fell into the coffin like a bowling ball, as Dio pulled the now headless body into his coffin as well.

The fire was dangerously close now. As Dio sealed himself and Jonathan inside the coffin, the fire reached the engine, and sparked the leaking oil.

The boat exploded with a thunder like "CRACK". The coffin was launched through the air, before landing back into the ocean. The coffin began to sink.

Inside the coffin, Dio stared into Jonathan's flat, blue-grey eyes.

"Jojo, you truly were a worthy foe. If only you would have joined me, instead of dying like a fool. We could have made something great together."

Jonathan did not respond.

The coffin sunk deeper, down into the inky black depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

* * *

Time marched onwards.

In Japan, an agency is founded to combat a newly found race of cannibals known as "Ghouls".

When he finds fortune in America, street rat turned to millionaire Robert E.O. Speedwagon founds the Speedwagon Foundation, an organization dedicated to the study of supernatural phenomena.

Within the mud-stained trenches of WW1, a Joestar is killed by a zombie, after he discovers that his commander is the servant of his bloodline's greatest enemy.

In 1939, the newest generation of Joestars and Zeppelis fight against a menace that has reawakened. They are victorious in banishing the threat, and the three Pillar Men are never to be seen again.

For the next 70 years, all is quiet, and there is tense peace.

* * *

As Hideyoshi Nagachika, Kaneki Ken's best friend since elementary school lay bleeding out on the dirty pavement, Kaneki's mind was racing.

"Hide was concerned, and reached out to me."

Nishiki stood over Hide, Kagune flicking angrily, ready to turn him into a splatter of gore on the brick wall.

"No…"

Images of all the things Hide and him had done together flashed through Kaneki's mind.

"I don't want Hide.."

Kaneki's eye turned black, while his Rinkaku burst out of his back with a wet, ripping tear.

"TO DIE!"

Kaneki's rinkaku lunged at Nishiki, who leaped into the air as he struck back against Kaneki's kagune with his own bikaku.

"Damn you!" Nishiki hissed.

Kaneki grabbed Nishiki by the sides, and pierced straight through Nishiki's torso with his rinkaku.

Nishiki screamed in pain as viscous, jelly like blood dripped out of him.

"STOP IT! STOP IT, YOU DUMBASS!"

Nishiki continued to flail in pain as Kaneki lifted him into the air and swung him around.

"I'M DYING, DYING, DYING, DYING, DYING, DYING, DYING, DYING, DYING!"

Nishiki's blood was splattering all over the alleyway, as Kaneki continued to whip his target back and forth with his rinkaku. Kaneki flung Nishiki's limp body up into the railing of the highway.

"That was… Rize's… damn it…" Nishiki managed to groan out before his eyes closed shut.

* * *

Through the haze of bloodlust, Kaneki could see Hide's broken body. As Kaneki stared down at Hide, he heard a voice.

"Mm, he sure looks tasty."

Kaneki's eyes widened as his head whipped up to look at the speaker. It was that ghoul, Rize. The one who had gotten him into this mess.

"Such a fragrant aroma. I'm getting hungry myself. Here, do you see him?" Crooned the pink haired ghoul.

Kaneki stood in place, paralyzed by the shock of his would-be murderer standing in front of him.

"Take a good look. Isn't he just scrumptious?"

Kaneki stepped forward.

"Stop it! Hide isn't good!" Kaneki exclaimed.

Rize turned and leaned into him. Kaneki could smell blood on her breath.

"Are you sure about that? Take a closer look."

As he stared at Hide's body, he could feel his mouth watering.

"See? You understand, right?" Rize said, pleased by Kaneki's reaction.

"Yeah, I understand."

Viscous saliva began to drip out of Kaneki's mouth as a wild grin spread out across his face.

"He looks really appetizing!"

Kaneki's eyes widened as he realized what he was saying.

"No, stop it! What are you even talking about?!"

Rize appeared behind Kaneki, and wrapped her hands around his waist.

"You want it so much you can't stand it right?"

Kaneki writhed in pain as he tried to escape Rize's grasp.

"There's no need to hold back. You're not doing anything wrong." Explained Rize with a coy smile.

Kaneki broke free of Rize's hold and leaned against one of the blood splattered walls. Rize appeared behind him.

Rize whispered in his ear. "Quickly now. You should let loose with your desires."

"My desires?"

"He's all yours."

Rize began to fade away into thin air.

"All of him?"

"Go on now."

When Kaneki turned around, Rize was nowhere to be seen. As Kaneki turned back to Hide, the grin returned to his face.

"You're right. This is my special treat, isn't it?"

Kaneki stumbled towards Hide.

"I… I have to eat him…"

Kaneki leaned over Hide.

"Hide is my… friend! That's right! Hide is my friend, so I have to eat him!"

Kaneki opened his jaw so wide that it looked like he had unhinged it. Kaneki leaned down to bite into Hide's soft, juicy flesh.

* * *

Touka stood in front of the drooling half-ghoul as he continued to stare at her. The way he was panting was almost pathetic.

"Your heads completely given way to your stomach, right?" Asked Touka.

"Out of the way!" Replied Kaneki.

"Not even your friends life has value to you."

Kaneki didn't reply, only continuing to slobber and growl.

"Wanna know something? Gobble this guy up and you'll regret it later while drowning in a sea of blood and entrails."

Kaneki stared into the pavement while gritting his teeth.

"Such is a ghoul's hunger and destiny."

Kaneki stood up and unleashed his rinkaku.  
Touka looked down and adjusted her tie.

"You really are a hassle to deal with."

Touka quickly looked up, her eyes a gleaming black and crimson red.

"I'll play nicely with you just this once, so make sure you go down nice and easy."

* * *

Kaneki jolted up. He was sitting on a couch, covered with blankets in a darkened room.

The nearby door opened, and a man walked through the doorway.

"Touka-Chan brought you back here." Said the man.

"Where's Hide!?" Exclaimed Kaneki.

"Come with me." Replied the man, giving no other response.

The man led Kaneki to a room across the hall, where Hide was laying bandaged and sleeping.

"Hide!" Exclaimed Kaneki.

Hide, giving no indication of hearing Kaneki, rolled over on his side.

"I've been… consumed by my hunger this entire time."

Kaneki lifted his shirt to examine the bloodstain where his kagune had emerged.

"At that moment especially, I was so hungry I thought I might die. I wasn't even aware of what I was doing."

Kaneki gnawed on his pointer finger.

"And then, I went after Hide… But right now, that's completely gone. That blood that was in my mouth… Please, give me an honest answer. What did you do to me while I was asleep?"

"There is only one way to satisfy a ghoul's hunger."

The elderly man opened his eye, revealing a black and red eye.

"You know what that is, right?"

Kaneki has a look of shock on his face.

"If you had starved for any longer, you would have pounced on your friend there."

Kaneki looked down at the floor and began to cry, while the old man put his hand on Kaneki's shoulder.

"You have to accept what you are."

"I don't want to hurt my friend. That's why I can't be around Hide anymore."

Kaneki leaned his head against the doorway, and the tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

"But I can't enter the world of ghouls, either. As someone who's neither ghoul nor human, I am… all alone."

Kaneki covered his eyes with his right hand.

"There's nowhere I can call home now!"

A sudden flash of light appeared in the corner of Kaneki's vision, and he looked up. The old man had pulled up the blinds, exposing the setting sun.

"You're wrong."

The man had a stern, but serene look on his face.

"You are both human and ghoul."

Kaneki looked up at the man.

"You are the one and only person who holds a place in both of these worlds. Come over to Anteiku. I'm certain that it'll lead you to a path where you can hold your own."

A butterfly flew through the open window, and landed on Touka's finger.

"I also want you to understand us better."

Touka brought her finger level with her eyes, and looked at the insect.

"To see whether or not we're just ravenous monsters."

The butterfly flew out of the window, and Touka's vision followed it, looking out the window with a satisfied look.

"How about it?" Asked the man.

The man began to walk down to the end of the hallway.

"Why don't we start by learning how to brew a delicious cup of coffee?"

"Do you have faith in me?" Asked Kaneki.

As Kaneki left the room, Hide had a happy smile on his sleeping face, like he was dreaming of sunshine.

* * *

As the sun begins to set for the day and the crew of the Sun-Circle wait for their final catch of the day, the hydraulic net catches on something.

Thinking that they just caught a large amount of fish, the crew prepares to pull the netting to the surface.

"Vrrrrrrreeeee"

The hydraulics struggle under the weight of something that is obviously not a catch of fish.

"Wow, sounds like we really hit the motherload!" Exclaimed First Mate Noya Hiroki.

The netting pulls the object into the air, dropping it onto the port side.

What lies before the crew of the Sun-Circle is an ornate, gold plated chest. Barnacles cover the chest from what looks like years of submersion under the waves.

"Looks like we'll need the blowtorch for something like this." Said Second Mate Toyaharo

As the Second Mate went to grab his toolkit, the First Mate noticed a nameplate on the front of the chest.

"Hey, this thing has its owners nameplate on it."

The First Mate bent down to get a closer look.

"Looks like it says…"

ゴゴゴゴゴ ゴゴゴゴゴ  
DIO

Within the coffin, a creature, long since sealed away from the world, let out a growl.

ドドドドド ドドドドド  
"Wrryyyy…"


	2. A man out of time

The harbor glittered as the moonlight beamed down into the waves. The bodies of the crew of the Sun-Circle lay on the deck, drained completely of their blood. In the center of the deck sat an open coffin, the lid sitting beside it.

The boat gently rocked as a figure stepped off the ship and onto the pavement. The man was wearing a set of moldy red pants and Victorian nobleman's shirt, and his neck was scarred, making it look like he had been decapitated and his head put back onto his body. He carried a bone-bleach skull in his grip, and he lifted it up as if to speak to it.

"So, Jojo, after all this time Gravity brings me back from your imprisonment."

He set his arm down at his side, still gripping the skull.

"This act of fate proves that even if I suffer defeat after defeat by the hands of that despicable Joestar, I will always be favored by destiny. After all, any normal man would've given up or died long ago, but it wasn't any normal man who returned from the black depths of night…"

The man raised his head.

"IT WAS I, DIO!"

Dio looked into the sky. This place he had returned to was a city, no doubt. But these towering structures made of glass, these colorful lights and the ship he had been rescued by, they were unlike anything Dio had ever seen. Perhaps it was a better idea to get his bearings first.

Dio stepped forward into an alleyway. He let the darkness wrap around him, feeling at least a fraction of his powers return to him. It appeared that while he had healed enough to have fine motor control over Jonathan's body, he hadn't regained all of his vampiric abilities.

As Dio continued down the dark passageway, he could hear the faint clash of what sounded like steel, yelling and screams. Dio walked around a corner, found himself at an intersection and saw a strange sight. Two humans, one dressed in a gray trench coat and pig mask and the other in a hooded sweatshirt with a crow mask were fighting each other, but they were attacking and defending themselves with a strange, glossy appendage. A dead body lay in the center of a beam of light, a hole in her body as blood pooled around her.

One of the humans shot a flurry of crystal like shards from their shoulder like a porcupine, as the other raised his tail appendage and blocked.  
How peculiar. These people were not like any type of vampire Dio had ever seen.

Pig lunged at Crow, while Crow ducked as Tail slashed to decapitate. Crow pushed Pig backwards, and Pig directed her weapon to pierce through Crow's torso.

Crow was impaled by Pig's appendage and left a bloodstain on the pavement as Pig Pulled her tail out of the dying ghoul. Crow fell forward, crow mask shattering as he fell face first into his pooling blood.

Pig looked down at the body, a strange look on her face. Pig quickly turned away, stepping towards the corpse of the human, and kneeled down and began to tear into the body.

Wet tears and slurps filled the air, as Dio approached silently, and stopped at the edge of the streetlight. He continued to watch the pseudo-vampire feast on the human, standing at the edge of her vision.

As the vampire finished her meal, Dio spoke.

"Enjoying yourself?"

The ghoul jumped up, clearly startled.

"What a strange coincidence, finding another vampire straight after arriving here."

* * *

Rozuma has finally been able to get a meal after being hungry for an entire goddamn week. But of course, another ghoul had to show up to try and steal her meal. Like an idiot, the guy took on a bikaku-type with an ukaku. And now, like every idiotic ghoul, he was a stain splattered on the ground.

But this? This took the cake.

The mystery ghoul stood on the edge of Rozuma's vision, beyond the beam of light radiating from the streetlight. And vampires? What was this guy on?

"Ah, I see. Another ghoul here to steal my meal. I'm going to assume you saw what happened to that other one, so if you know what's good for you, get lost." Replied Rozuma.

"Ghouls? Is that what you call your kind? I suppose since you display only meager powers, you could hardly be called a vampire."

The figure stepped closer. From what Rozuma could make out, the man was at least 6 feet tall, and almost unnaturally muscular. He radiated a menacing aura.

Feeling his aura, Rozuma unsheathed her bikaku.

"I'm warning you, get away from me. I'll skewer you just like I did that boy."

The man stepped forward into the street light.  
The man had long, silky blond hair that shadowed his eyes, while his pale skin reflected the streetlight. A scar ran around his neck, like he had been reattached to his body at the neck.

"Oh? Well, I shall amuse your offer for a duel." The man uttered, his pink, supple lips revealing fangs as he spoke.

Rozuma skewered him with her Bikaku, and whipped him against the wall. She could hear the bones crack in his body, which sent a shiver down her spine. Rozuma suddenly felt her Bikaku move without her directing it.

A mass of fleshy vines were moving down her Bikaku! Rozuma tried to break free, but to no avail. A loud crack brought her attention away from her Bikaku for a moment.

The man had gotten up, and was walking towards her. Where her Bikaku has lodged itself inside the man, fleshy vines were emerging from the hole.

"Useless, useless! You wouldn't even hold against the weakest of vampires!"

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Exclaimed Rozuma. She directed her Bikaku to whip the man again. A screaming pain shot through her body as she heard the sound of metal screeching, and a loud snap. Rozuma looked down at what was once her proud Bikaku. A bloody dripping stump was what remained of her weapon, as the strange vines began to spread in the Bikaku.

The man continued to approach, until she could see into his eyes. They were a cold, emerald green, and Rozuma felt like she was staring into the eyes of the devil.

"What… the hell are you?" Rozuma managed to utter out.

The man replied.

"You may call me DIO."

Dio bit into Rozuma's neck, and began to drink.

* * *

As the ghouls limp body hit the ground, Dio stood and stretched his muscles. He could feel her blood flowing through his body, and the hole in his abdomen began to slowly shrink. A sour taste lingered on Dio's tongue.

Dio looked down at the wound in his torso. While it was starting to shrink, he could see the center of the vine-like flesh whips retreat into his wound as the flesh began to grow around it. Good. This meant that he was least starting to get some semblance of control of Jonathan's body.

Dio also took note of his ruined clothes. Judging from what that female ghoul was wearing, the fashion sense of humanity had obviously changed from when he was a lad.

"I could take clothes from these pitiful humans, but would any of them suit me?"

Dio walked over to the corpse of the male ghoul, searched his body and then picked him up  
comparing their body sizes.

"Useless… these clothes are too small for someone of my size."

Seeing this, Dio threw the man's body into a nearby dumpster. It hit the side with a resounding "CLANG"

He looked up into the sky. While it was still dark out and dulled by the covering of clouds, the sky was slowly starting to become a maroon red. It was going to be day soon, and Dio couldn't be caught out in sunlight due to the weakness vampires had to that infernal ball of light.

Dio strutted out of the alleyway.

There was much work to be done

* * *

The sky was heavy and overcast. Rain dripped down with a soft patter onto the metal walkway.

Two men stood next to each other, the younger and taller with short, clipped black hair and the other a short, lanky man with stringy white hair.

"Great weather, huh? The rain dulls their senses. These working conditions are just right." Said the white haired man to his partner.

"According to the 20th wards report, there was an incident three months ago concerning a binge eater in this very building, along with reports of Jason." Replied the black haired man, giving no indication that he had heard his partner.

"A binge eater and Jason, huh?"

"Interaction between two S-rate subjects?"

"Who knows. I doubt they were cordially sharing a meal."

The white haired man shuddered suddenly, eyes going wide as he looked around.

"Mado-san?" Asked his partner.

Mado jumped over the railing, down onto the lower level of the roof.

"Mado-San!"

"Amon-kun! You see? I knew it!" Mado exclaimed as he held up a set of bloody pliers.

Amon leaned over the railing, before looking up into the sky.

"If I had to come up with a drawback to this weather, it would be that I can't hear the screams of those shitbags dying over the rain."

* * *

Dio had spent the remaining night walking around the city looking for clues as to where he was. After finding something called a "tourist guide", Dio had learned that he had awoken in a place named Tokyo, the capital city of the eastern nation of Japan. Based on the knowledge Dio had learned from Wang Chung, one of his vampiric servants, he was almost 7,800 kilometers away from England.

Then, surprisingly, Dio had learned that he could survive in sunlight conditions. Since the sky was gray and heavy with clouds that day, that blasted sun was blocked from shining its killer rays onto the earth.

Dio paused from his musings. A younger looking man was staring at him from inside a "coffee shop", as the youth called tea shops these days.

Dio continued walking, entering the 23rd ward until he found what he was looking for. Being a vampire and unable to spend time outside beyond the rare rainy day, Dio needed somewhere to stay until he could put his plans into action.

Dio snapped out of his musings and stared at the scene in front of him.

"Speak of the devil."


	3. Ghouls and Humans

"Next patient, please!"

The doctor was only able to start scribbling down his work before his previous patient was thrown through the wooden door, landing on his desk. The man had bloody gashes torn into his suit.

"Help…" The man moaned.

"Knock, Knock…:"

The doctor turned to face the figure who stood in the broken doorway. A tall man in a white suit stood there, knocking on the frame.

"I've finally found you.

"Yamori…"

"I seem to have misplaced that nifty little toy you gave me."

Yamori cracked his knuckle.

"I want you to make a replacement."

The doctor smiled.

"Of course…"

Yamori cracked his knuckle again.

"Splendid. I'll be back."

Yamori turned and left. When Yamori was out of sight, a curtain behind the doctor opened. A woman holding a young child sat on a cot.

"Dear…"

* * *

The chair creaked quietly as Dio shifted his legs. He flipped a page in the book he was reading, _The Heart Of Darkness_, and swirled the blood that sat in Dio's wine glass. Jonathan's skull sat on the small table next to him, looking out into the darkened room.

Dio set the book down next to Jonathan with a soft _thump._ Even though his momentary goals had been fulfilled, there was still one question nagging Dio, sitting at the back of his mind.

What should he do next?

It had been 121 years since Dio's defeat at the hands of Jojo. Dio had no idea if the Joestars or their Zeppeli stooges still existed, and he was over 10,000 miles away from home. Dio couldn't fly back to England in one of the new flying machines, due to that terrible sun, and would there be anything worth going back for?

Dio tapped his fingers on the glossy wood, glaring at nothing in particular. He had ascended humanity long ago. As someone a step above humanity, what was there for Dio?

Political Power? Wealth? Fame? Sex? No. These materialistic goals were worthless in Dio's eyes. Someone like Dio was destined for something greater. But what?

Dio stood up suddenly, his musing cut short. He walked over to the bedroom door, and pulled it open.

Maybe a walk would do him some good.

"Slowly, now."

Kaneki poured the cream into the cup of coffee.

"There's no rush, keep up those spirals."

"R-Right.

After preparing the coffee, Kaneki drank it slowly.

"How is it?" Yoshimura asked.

"If I were to compare it to yours, this cup doesn't quite hit the mark." Kaneki responded.

"Each cup of coffee is unique in that it reflects the amount of effort poured into it. Like dealing with people, coffee doesn't like to be rushed." Yoshimura explained.

"I see."

"There's something you need to consider." Yoshimura said suddenly.

"Anteiku isn't just your average coffee house. It's also a place where the ghouls of the 20th ward can interact and feel at home. Of course, we gladly serve human customers here. Just as we once did for you, correct?"

"But if ghouls are trying their hardest to blend in with society, why would you go out of your way to serve human customers as well?" Kaneki inquired.

Yoshimura looked out the window, and stared at some humans in a nearby park.

"It's critical to understand human behavior to inhabit the world the world they live in. Humans are living, breathing textbooks for ghouls like us."

Yoshimura smiled.

"Besides, I like them. Humans, that is." Yoshimura turned to Kaneki.

"Allright, I think it's about time I send you down to give Touka-chan a hand."

"R-Right."

As Kaneki descended the staircase, he thought over Yoshimura's words.

"_He likes humans? What part of them, exactly?"_

Kaneki opened the door and saw Hide sitting at the counter, talking to Touka.

"Okay, some other time- Hey, Kaneki!" Hide turned to face Kaneki, a grin on his face.

"H-Hide! What are you doing here?"

"Silly, I came to thank Touka-chan, of course!" Kaneki walked over to the two of them.

"Thank her?"

"She helped us out when we got caught up in that mess, remember?"

"Huh?"

Touka kicked Kaneki's shin, shutting him up for the moment.

"Poor guy, looks like he hasn't fully recovered yet." Touka exclaimed, false cheer evident in her voice. Hide looked over at Kaneki, who had a look of pain on his face.

"You okay?"

Kaneki smiled.

"Yeah."

"That's good. I heard Nishio-senpai is still recovering at the hospital since he had it pretty rough. We were lucky to get away with just a few scratches thanks to you, Touka-chan." Hide stepped out the door.

"All right Kaneki, I'll catch you later."

"Yeah, sure." Replied Kaneki.

When Hide was fully out the door, Touka turned to Kaneki.

"Make sure he doesn't find out about your ghoul situation."

"I know."

"If he catches the slightest wind about us… I'll slaughter him on the spot."

"What?! But that's…" Touka glared at Kaneki.

"If you don't want that to happen, keep your damn mouth shut."

The doors to Anteiku opened suddenly, and a mother and her daughter stepped in.

Touka smiled at them. "Welcome!"

"Touka-chan..."

"Ryouko-san!" Touka ran over to them.

"Kaneki, towels!"

"Yes!"

* * *

Ryouko towled her daughter off while speaking to Touka.

"I'm sorry to bother you like this."

"Don't worry, it's nothing."

"Where is Yoshimura-san?"

"Inside." Touka looked over at Kaneki.

"Kaneki! Hand her a new one."

"Oh, here you go."

"Thank you."

The girl looked up at Kaneki, who noticed that she was looking at him. He smiled back at her. She didn't return the look, turning away from him and hiding in her mother's side. Ryouko and her daughter stepped into the back.

"They're ghouls, right?" Asked Kaneki.

Touka responded by throwing the towel to him.

"That's Fueguchi-san. We'll be taking care of her from now on."

"Taking care of?"

"Yeah, it's a bit of a long story."

"Story? What happened?"

Touka whipped around, a look of anger adorning her face.

"Seriously, I've almost had it with you! You're not even good for anything!"

"I'm well aware of that…" Kaneki responded, looking down. Touka returned to washing the dishes.

"Oh right, did the manager tell you anything?"

"Huh?" Kaneki had a puzzled look on his face.

"About the Suits."

"Suits?"

"Those guys who walk around with big suitcases."

* * *

The control room was abuzz with activity. Graphs and maps displayed on the giant screen at the front of the room.

"This is the current status of the 11th ward. These patterns clearly indicate the start of organized movements. At this rate, it'll only be a matter of time before a war rages. That concludes my report. Does anyone else have anything further?"

A man in the middle row raised his hand.

"Amon Koutaro, First Class Investigator. I'll start with this."

An image of a set of pliers appeared onscreen.

"I believe everyone is aware of the Incident that happened three months ago, where Jason, from the 13th war initiated contact with an S-Ranked ghoul from the 20th ward, a binge eater."

The image of the pliers was zoomed into.

"The following piece of evidence was left behind at the crime scene."

The man on the podium had a bored expression on his face.

"And that is?"

"A pair of medical pliers tailored for ghouls, specifically. Upon further analysis, we have identified it as a quinque weapon."

The white haired man next to Koutaro drummed his fingers on the table, a smirk crossing his face.

"Jason's objective is currently unknown at this time. However, I'd like to direct your attention towards the abrupt decline in binge predation lately. In short, those ghouls might be planning something in the 20th Ward." Koutaro sat down.

A smile adorned the speakers face.

"I'd expect nothing less from the academy's top student."

The man raised his hand in the direction of the white-haired man.

"Good for you, Mado. Having such a reliable partner gives you more time to play with your toys, no?"

"Fortunately so. Now, if you could get this meeting over and done with, I'd be spending time on something far more productive."

"Blunt as ever, I see. All right, I want you guys to stay on top of things in the 20th War, all right?"

Mado stared, while Koutarou responded.

"Yes sir.

The speaker stood up from his seat.

"With the quietest wards sudden flare in ghoul activity, something tells me that this is a glimpse of things to come. But our purpose here at the CCG is to eradicate every last ghoul here in Tokyo! This is the one and only responsibility we've been entrusted with! Even now, that fact remains the same!"

The man sat back down.

"All right, let's stay focused and get right to it!"

"Yes, Sir!" The audience responded.

"This meeting is adjourned! Dismissed!"

* * *

In a faraway corner of the CCG, a tall man sat hunched over, filling out the incident reports of his most recent ghoul takedowns in the 8th ward. The brim of his hat shielded his eyes from the dull fluorescent lights. As he was almost done with the paperwork, a 2nd Rank Investigator passed by, dropping a case file into the man's inbox.

"Here's another one straight from the 8th ward. Case looked pretty cold, so I guess that's why they're giving it to someone like you."

The man looked up from his work, and shot the 2nd Rank a menacing glare from under the brim. The 2nd Rank slowly backed away, seemingly having no further comment.

The man picked up the case and looked it over. 7 fishermen dead, and the bodies of two ghouls discovered nearby. One of the ghouls had been killed by the other, that was for sure. But one fact about the rest of the bodies remained constant.

They had all been drained of their blood.

From there, the trail went dead. No other clues had been discerned. The man set down the case file.

"Yare Yare Daze… I guess I owe Gramps a phone call.


	4. Conversations

Dio had always been a fan of long walks. They had given him a place to clear his head when his father's presence had become to unbearable or Jonathan had been infuriatingly idiotic, and the chill of the day was somewhat… soothing, for lack of a better word, to Dio.

Dio's lack of a clear goal was troubling him considerably. Even though he had learned a considerable amount about the current state of the world, none of it had any practical relevance to him. Dio was a vampire, an urban legend in the eyes of man, and was therefore non-existent in the eyes of humanity. The "Ghouls" as they were called, though. They were almost like a watered down version of a Vampire. Since humanity frowned upon cannibalism and probably persecuted Ghouls, they probably banded together in small communities to support each other. Therefore, information networks and illicit practices would also be present. Although Vampires were far more superior to Ghouls, Dio still saw a use for them.

All Dio needed to do now was find a back-alley hovel run by a Ghoul, and his information gathering could begin.

* * *

"Uta-san! Hello? Jeez, maybe he's asleep?" Cried Touka as she opened the door to the store. A variety of colorful masks lined glass cases, and a few sat on a mannequin's head.

Kaneki walked over to a mannequin covered by a white sheet, and pulled it up.

"Boo."

Kaneki stumbled backwards as Uta sat on the small table, staring down at him. Touka rolled her eyes.

"What are you doing, Uta-san?" Uta turned to look at Touka.

"I went out of my to pleasantly surprise you."

Uta got off the table and walked to the back of the store, sitting down at a workbench of sorts. Kaneki and Touka followed him.

"This is Uta-san. He'll make a mask for you." Touka explained.

Uta looked at Kaneki.

"That's me." Kaneki bowed.

"I'm Kaneki. Nice to meet-" Kaneki was cut off as Uta rolled over to him and inhaled deeply.

"You smell… different. Touka-san, I understand the doves are on the prowl."

"Yes." Kaneki attempted to step back, but Uta grabbed him by the shirt collar and pulled him forward.

"The 20th Ward is nice and quiet, no one ever bothers to check us out." Uta sniffed Kaneki again.

"I assume this is Rize-sans impact." Touka narrowed her eyes.

"Tsukiyama seems to be pushing his luck lately."

Uta looked at Touka.

"Ah yes, that guy…"

"Um, is there a reason for the 20th Ward being reasonably quiet? I wouldn't know." Kaneki interjected.

"Live somewhere else for a bit, and the difference will be as clear as day. If you're up to it, you can stay the night. If you're lucky, you'll get to experience some cannibalism. That's always fun."

Uta seemed to stare through Kaneki, rather than at him. Kaneki pulled back, and broke out of Uta's grasp.

"I-Im fine, thanks."

"Having a place like Anteiku must be pretty great for you." Uta got up, and pointed to a pair of swivel stools. "Sit over there; I'll take your measurements."

They walked over to the chairs and Kaneki sat down on one. Uta picked up a nearby clipboard.

"Do you have any allergies?"

"No…"

"What about rubber or metal?"

"They're fine-"

"You want a full mask?"

"Uh…"

"Well, it is your first time. Maybe a half-mask instead."

"S-Sure." Uta kneeled down and looked at Kaneki's face.

"Cute eyepatch. Are you a fan of it?" Kaneki looked taken aback by the question, and pulled the eyepatch away from his eye.

"When I get hungry, this eye turns red regardless of whether I want it to or not."

"You could always just fill up, you know." Uta produced an eyeball from a pocket and waved it in front of Kaneki's face.

"Care for a snack?"

"I-I'm good."

"Kaneki-kun, do you have anyone special?" Uta asked, changing the mood abruptly.

"Huh? I guess not."

"You're like one of those, how do I say it… Those guys who get pampered more by older ladies than girls their own age."

"U-Um, are these questions relevant to anything at all?"

"Yes. I feel more motivated if I get to know you better. Uta rummaged around in one of the table's drawers, looking for some equipment.

"What about Touka-san?"

"Her? She's kind of scary."

"Scary? You think so? She looks like a dedicated hard worker to me." Uta spoke as he measured the width of Kaneki's skull with a length of tape.

"A hard worker?"

"In order for us to blend into human society, we need a mask that should never be taken off. If someone catches onto us for even a moment, it's over. That's why we have to carry ourselves in day-to-day life without getting attached. She lives her life accepting that risk. Her job at Anteiku, even going to school…"

"Is the risk really worth it?"

* * *

"That's a good question. But you know, when the occasional human customer walks in, I get a different feeling. My pulse races. It's hard to explain, but it's a good feeling."

Itori could only stare as the blonde mountain of a man ducked under the doorway. The cloying, heavy scent of blood that hung off the man was sickening to even her. He stepped into the bar, and looked at her. Itori smirked at him.

"With a smell like that, I'm guessing you're a ghoul. Never seen you around these parts before. You're new in town?"

The man glared down at her. His orange eyes smoldered intensely, and Itori could feel herself shrink under his gaze.

"I have recently come off of a… long-term sabbatical, shall I say. I need information about a number of things, and back-alley dives such as this establishment seem ripe with what I need."

Itori glared back at him.

"I won't give you information for free. It sounds like someone as high and mighty as yourself should know this already, so tell me; where are you coming off vacation from?" The man sat down in a barstool two chairs down, and looked at the various bottles that sat on the shelf behind the bar.

"How to start… First: May I trouble you for a glass of blood? I'm feeling awfully parched."

Itori glanced at him; he sat with his left leg crossed over his right as he leaned back, an aura of confidence emanating from him. A dangerous smirk adorned his face. She got up, never taking his eyes off him as she pulled a blood bag out from under the bar, pouring it into two wine glasses. Itori picked one up and gave it to him, the other she took for herself. The man closed his eyes, inhaling the wafting scent deeply.

"You haven't answered my question." Itori stated.

The man opened his eyes, their golden sheen catching light on the curve.

"Ah… Where did you get this blood? You see, I consider myself a… connoisseur of blood. I enjoy every facet and flavor one can taste when the blood first hits your lips. This blood tastes salty… yet sweet, with a hint of bitterness, the blood of a smoker who loved his family yet made some poor life decisions."

Itori stared at him. The man stared back. A smile graced Itori's face.

"Wow, I've never heard an interpretation like that before! Personally, I think this blood isn't the blood of a smoker, but rather the blood of an investigator fresh out of the Academy tragically killed on his first assignment. Say, wanna come back sometime to try some other ones? I'd love to hear your take!"

The blonde man smirked, a smug look crossing his face.

"Perhaps I will come back, but for now let us get to business."

"Right, so to restate my earlier point; I'll give you information if you give me some. You seem like an interesting guy with plenty to tell me!"

A contemplative look crossed the man's face.

"I've come back from vacation, and wish to work on some projects I've left long neglected. You see, I'm looking for a group of people with star-shaped birthmarks on their necks. Have you seen or heard anything about people sounding like them recently?" Itori frowned.

"I can't say that I have, no. But I'll keep an eye out for people fitting that description. Now, onto what _you _are. I know for a fact that you're a ghoul due to how you tasted that blood, and how you strutted in here with confidence no human would have."

The man shot her an inquiring look, and then realized what she was saying.

"Ah yes, well, I find myself puzzled by ghoulish behavior each day. They blend into human society so well, they are almost indistinguishable from the faces I see every day. This is why I find myself… No offense to you, _disgusted_ by ghouls."

Itori's eyes narrowed. The man continued monologuing.

"Ghouls are wolves in sheep's clothing. They prey and stalk and hunt humans like breads to be eaten and when they are faced with certain doom, they grovel and cry on their knees at the feet of humanity. Humanity at least has the capacity to die with honor."

The man stood up from his seat, and made a move to leave. Itori spoke up.

"You talk about yourself like you aren't also a ghoul. What are you then? You practice the same things we all do, fighting to stay alive one day at a time.

A ghost of a smile crossed the man's face.

"That is where you are wrong. Ghouls are lower than Humanity, in the grand scheme of things. The difference between me and the rest of you, however…"

Only then did Itori notice the man's unnaturally long fangs.

"Is that I surpassed human limitation long ago."

* * *

"The stories you told me when I was a kid. Are they actually real?"

"..."

"I can't tell you that"

"..."

"Seven fishermen and one ghoul were found drained of their blood, their bodies sucked dry of any fluids inside them. The dock manager reported the night before they were fine, and the next morning they were dead."

"..."

"A gold-plated coffin."

"..."

"DIO. That's the name that was engraved into it."

"..."

"This is one hell of a rabbit hole that I don't think I want to see the end of."


	5. Dark Rebirth

The man with the goatee stared dead-eyed at Kaneki.

"Uh… Are you Yomo?" Yomo did not respond, instead continuing to stare at Kaneki. Kaneki supposed he should continue speaking.

"I-Im Ken Kaneki. I came in place of Touka…" Yomo opened the drivers side door.

"I heard. Get in."

* * *

Trees passed by the car as Yomo drove them to their destination.

"_He's kind of scary… he hasn't said anything…" _Kaneki thought as he looked at Yomo, who was staring ahead at the road.

"_I wish there was a way to break the ice…" _

"Is this your car?" Kaneki asked. Yomo kept staring forwards.

"No."

"...Then, whose is it?"

Yomo did not respond.

"_Say something, please…"_

The car ride was silent for the rest of the way. After a period of time, Yomo pulled over behind a red car. The road sat on a cliffside and only a small metal barrier separated them from the forest below. Yomo got out and Kaneki followed, watching Yomo look over the side of the cliff.

"Whoa, we're high up. What're we doing here?" Kaneki inquired. Yomo continued to stare down into the darkness.

"_Ignoring me again… What's down there anyway?" _Kaneki leaned on the barrier so he could look down. The barrier creaked under Kaneki's weight, and Yomo turned to Kaneki when he heard the noise.

"Hey… That part's all rusted." Kaneki looked down in surprise, and the shifting of his weight caused the barrier to buckle, sending Kaneki careening off the cliff.

* * *

Dio stalked through the forest, contemplating his and Itori's conversation. While it was the longer way back to the 23rd Ward, cutting through the center of the city was an uncomfortable idea.

While it was true that he was above humanity, Dio still held some respect for them. When they provided him with challenge, and when they were smart enough to bow before superior beings such as himself. Ghouls scurried in the gutters of society, bickering and fighting with one another over table scraps.

Some could argue that Dio was no different from ghouls in both the physical and mental sense. But what seperated Dio from the common rabble was his destiny.

While the common rabble was content with their day-to-day lives, Dio was obviously meant for something more. He had already begun his journey to ascension by putting on the stone mask on that fateful day.

The screech of tearing metal reached Dio's ears, followed by the scream of a young man. Said young man landed on the ground in front of him. Dio quickly withdrew into the shadows before he could be noticed.

* * *

Kaneki shrieked in terror as he fell and grappled for the cliffside. He briefly caught on a rock before Kaneki's grip failed and he continued to fall. Kaneki hit the ground with a thud, but he felt none of the expected pain. Kaneki raised an arm and inspected it for damage.

"_I'm unscathed...I fell from all the way up there and lived… Is it because of this body?"_

Kaneki took a moment to observe his surroundings. Dense brush and tall trees consumed him. A gust of wind moved through the trees, making them rustle and shake.

"_Where am I?"_

A feeling of dread consumed Kaneki. It felt like he was being watched.

"_I fell down into a creepy place… There's no way I'm climbing back up… Maybe I could if my hands changed like they did a second ago… I'll just have to until Yomo…"_ Kaneki's foot nudged into something hard. He looked down at said object.

"WAAAH!"

* * *

Yomo hit the ground, gracefully breaking his fall. He looked down at Kaneki, who was still panting in shock after seeing the body.

"This your first time? Seeing a body?" Yomo asked, before looking up at the cliff. Kaneki gave no response, so Yomo continued on.

"D'you see that other car parked up over there? That probably belonged to this guy. People die here a lot… by choice. Not many people know about this place because we clean it up."

"S-So the people at Anteiku… They made a choice to eat suicide victims… That way they don't have to hurt anybody…" An annoyed frown graced Yomo's face.

"I haven't chosen anything...I'll kill at times to feed. So do Touka and the other guys." Yomo clenched his fist.

"I'm only doing this because Mr. Yoshimura asked me to. That's the only reason I'm all the way out here with you." Yomo threw the duffel bag at Kaneki.

"Stuff him in that. I'll take care of the other one over there." Kaneki shuddered as panic swept through his body. How was he supposed to do this?!

"_N-N-No way… No way… No way, no way, no way, no way…" _Yomo sighed as he noticed Kaneki's fear.

"Fine. Get out of the way." Yomo snatched the duffel bag out of Kanek's hands, and set it down next to the corpse. Yomo loomed over the corpse, before doing something completely unexpected.

Yomo seemed to pray.

* * *

Dio watched on with mild amusement as the tall man stuffed the corpse into the bag and the boy cowered in fear. How useless! The man turned around and the boy got up to follow. As they walked through the wood, the boy's shirt was caught on a low-hanging branch, pulling it down to reveal the left shoulder.

The smell of ozone filled Dio's nose, hot and clouding as he saw red. All his mistakes were not for nothing! His goals were in reach! But he was not strong enough to confront the fated enemy. Dio slunk further into the bushes. Another time, perhaps.

"ドドドド Joestar… ドドドド"

* * *

"_CCG Investigators are puzzled by the state the ghoul known as "Butterfly" was found in, given the state of the building. Facts indicate that the building exploded due to a major gas leak, with no signs of arson being found. The citizens of Morioh, however, are merely happy to have their quiet lives restored. In other news-"_

First Class Investigator Kujo turned down the radio and stared out from under his hat across the desk. His colleague seemed stared back, though Jotaro didn't know for sure, given that the man was wearing sunglasses at night. Right when Jotaro had been investigating something interesting, the higher ups had decided to get up off their asses to assign him to something already being handled. And with a partner, too.

"Who could have known that after all this time, the dynamic duo would return to once again wreak havoc on unknowing ghouls!" A grin crossed the man's face. Jotaro didn't share the feeling.

"Shut your trap, Kakyoin. Let's hit the road." They got up from their chairs and made their exit.

"Whatever you say, old pal."


	6. Gravity

A sinister grin stretched across Goto's face as he stalked the young man from the rooftop. The oblivious fool was walking right into a corner! Goto was salivating at the thought of eating him. It had been so long since his last meal, and he was so hungry. Any second now… Now!

A sharp pain erupted in Goto's chest. His vision clouded and swayed as he fell face forwards onto the gravel. Damn… it… all.

Goto's eye's slid shut.

The crunch of gravel under heavy boots was audible as the two men approached.

"I forgot how well you use that thing, Kakyoin." Jotaro picked up the comatose body and slung it over his shoulder, his reflection glinting off Kakyoin's sunglasses. The ghoul's shoes hit against the side of Jotaro's suitcase, giving a metallic clunk.

"Like any professional, I take pride in maintaining my tools. Especially ones that hold sentimental value to me." Kakyoin's quinque folded into itself, it's emerald hue glinting in the setting sun. The suitcase clicked shut with a hiss as it sealed itself, Kakyoin looking down at it with a fond smile on his face before picking it up. Jotaro pulled his cap down, before slightly frowning.

"Yare yare daze. Come on. I'd rather do my damn job than screw around Tokyo all night looking for scumbags like him, so we're going back to headquarters to dump off this body." Jotaro turned away from Kakyoin, and began to walk towards the stairs leading to the roof. Kakyoin followed shortly after.

"Hmph. You've changed a lot since I last saw you."

* * *

"Kaneki?"

"Yeah?" Kaneki turned to Enji.

"You mind bringing down some coffee from upstairs? The ones with the red label."

"Sure thing, Mr. Koma."

Kaneki walked up to the second floor, and searched through various rooms for the beans. He was about to go back downstairs when Kaneki heard a chewing noise coming from one of the rooms. Kaneki pushed open the door where the sound was coming from.

Hinami's eyes widened in fright as Kaneki jumped back in shock, falling to the floor with a thud. Blood coated Hinami's mouth for a moment before she wiped it away quickly with a napkin.

"Hinami… I didn't know you were here." Hinami stayed silent as she angled her heads toward the floor. Kaneki quickly backed out of the room.

"Sorry… I didn't know… Um… Enjoy your meal…"

* * *

Kaneki held the beans in his arms as he walked over to Enji.

"Thanks, Kaneki."

"..."

"Hinami's upstairs. Hope you didn't walk in on her." Kaneki looked towards Enji with a desolate expression on his face.

"Wish you would've told me sooner…"

"Did you see her eating?" Kaneki nodded.

"Oooh… You shouldn't have done that. Girls especially don't like to be seen doing that. Maybe you should go apologize." Kaneki's eye widened slightly in surprise.

"Is it really something I need to go apologize for?" Enji gave Kaneki a judging smirk.

"Whoa. Not very sensitive, are you?" Kaneki ignored Enji's jab.

"Is Hinami's mother here too?"

"Mm? She's downstairs, talking to the manager. Don't worry about that." Enji held out a cup of coffee towards Kaneki.

"Here, take this! And go tell Hinami you're sorry."

* * *

Kaneki knocked on the door.

"Hinami, can I come in?" The door creaked as Kankei opened it. Hinami sat on the couch with a neutral expression on his face.

"..."

"I'm sorry about earlier... Here. It's on the house." Kaneki set the cup and saucer down on the coffee table in front of her. Kaneki motioned to exit her room.

"Stay as long as you want." Kaneki was halfway through the door when Hinami spoke.

"Um…"

"Mm? What's up?"

"Um… Which are you?" Kaneki looked down at the floor, a nervous smile on his face.

"Um…"

"N-Never mind. Y-your scent is different from everybody else's, so…" Kaneki grimaced as Hinami continued.

"If you were one of us… I could tell. Even from really far away." _Uta said the same thing about my scent,_ Though Kaneki.

"I… Used to be a normal human. But things happened, and I have some ghoul mixed inside of me. I can't eat normal food anymore... I think I'm actually closer to your kind." Hinami stared into the floor.

"You… used to be human?" Kaneki fiddled with his eyepatch.

"I'd say my soul is human and my body is a ghoul's… I wish I could go back to what I was, but…" Shame crossed Hinami's face.

"I'm sorry for asking…" Kaneki smiled warmly.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I'm such a freak." Hinami took on a pondering look.

"You're not a freak, but you are kinda strange…" Kaneki took note of the book she was reading.

"Hey! Monochrome Rainbow! You read Takatsuki?!" He picked up the book and examined it.

Hinami looked like she didn't know what to say, but Kaneki continued on.

"Her stuff's pretty difficult to read, but I guess _Monochrome's _a collection of short stories, so it's pretty easy. Which one do you like the most?" Hinami seemed overwhelmed by Kaneki's talking.

"Lemme guess, the psychological thriller _Summer Diary_… Or the comedy _Resentment_?"

"Um… K-Koyo Toki-Ame?" Kaneki looked surprised.

"Koyo Toki-Ame… Oh… Sayo Shigure! The one that became the prototype for _Egg of the Black Goat. _You like the scarier ones, huh?"

"Proto…? Sayo… Shigure… U-Um… How do you read this?"

"_Ajisai_. "

"What about this _anton-shi_?"

"_Anraku-Shi_."

"I-Is this _Haku_?" _She can't read too much kanji, can she?_

"That's written as _Thin Ice _and read _Hakuhyo. _But…" Kaneki gave a small chuckle.

"It can also be read as _Usurai. _That sounds prettier, doesn't it?" Hinam smiles.

"Yeah."

* * *

"_A… Ajisai… Sayo Shigure…"_ Hinami scratched the words down on the sheet of paper in front of her. Kaneki peered over them.

"Wow, taking notes, huh?" Hinami glanced to her left.

"I-I don't go to school, so… I write down everything I learn on this… My mother said I should…"

_Doe Mrs. Fueguchi keep Hinami out of school… so she doesn't have to walk a thin tightrope? But… She seems to thirst for knowledge._

"What about this? Does this mean something similar to _Shigure_…?" Hinami inquired.

"That's Shuu."

"Shuu?"

"Yeah. It means a sudden rain shower."

* * *

"It did really start to rain… Good thing we borrowed an umbrella."

"It's a _Shuu_, Mom!'

"What…?" Hinami smiled happily.

"It means a sudden rain shower. Kaneki taught me. He's very smart. I'm gonna have him teach me more!"

_Splash_

Hinami turned to look back.

"Mom… Let's run."

Ryouko took Hinamis's hand and pulled forward, splashing through puddles as they went.

"Hinami?! Is someone chasing us…?!"

"Two men…" Ryouko stopped and looked backwards. Fear graced Hinami's face.

Two tall men stood in front of them. One with a long, white coat and hat while the other wore a light green trench coat with gold trim. Hinami could see her reflection in the Green Man's sunglasses. Rain pittered onto the ground around them as the two groups stared at each other. The man with the hat spoke, his deep baritone filling the air.

"Mrs. Ryoko Fueguchi. We'd like to ask you a few questions.

* * *

Dio sat with his eyes closed as he ran his fingernails across Jonathan's skull. The rain pattered on the window. No light shown through, as it was blocked out by the heavy curtains in place.

It had been a few days since Dio had encountered the Joestar boy that fateful night. His initial feelings of triumph and excitement had given way to a more confused, no, questioning feeling. His judgement was unclouded, of course, but Dio did not have all the answers to his problems.

The boy did have an ozone-smelling taint of a Joestar. But, why was he in the company of a ghoul? Jonathan was never one to make alliances with those he fought to destroy, and in the eyes of humans, ghouls and vampires were merely two-sides of the same coin.

How wrong they were. Dio opened his eyes and peered down at Jonathan, a grin of malice stretching across his face.

"Jonathan, my old friend. Yet again we are pulled together by the strings of fate." Dio got up from his throne, and set the skull down on the end of the table. Dio walked out into the main hall. His voice boomed throughout the empty hallways.

"With the blood of the boy flowing throughout veins, I shall ascend to my position of the greatest of Vampires once again." Dio flexed his arms as he raised them above his head. The candles around Dio burned brighter.

"BY GRAVITY'S DICTATION, I SHALL TAKE MY PLACE AMONGST THE STARS!"

Dio brought his arms down, posing in a Christ-like fashion. The candles released their energy and the air around his roared with flame and life. The rain pattered on the windows.

"What a horrible night to be a Joestar."


	7. Tradition

"Do you have a moment?"

Ryokou was silent as the rain poured down around them. Hinami squeezed her hand in fear as the large man stared out from under the brim of his hat. The shorter, red-haired man stepped forward, expression hidden behind his sunglasses.

"We'd just like to ask you a few questions. Nothing more." The previously oblivious pedestrians began to notice the confrontation.

"_...What's going on over there?... Cops?..._" The Hat-Man pulled out a wallet and flipped it open, revealing a CCG badge.

"We are from the CCG. Please vacate the area." The people muttered to themselves, and backed away in fear as Ryokou and Hinami watched on.

"_...Ghoul? Is he talking about those two?... No way. They look totally normal…" _Hinami shuddered, and pressed close to Ryokou. Ryokou turned, and hugged Hinami tightly.

"Hinami." She looked up when she heard her mother's voice. Ryokou's eyes had turned the pitch-black and crimson-red of a ghoul's. Rain ran down her face, making it look like Ryokou was crying.

"Run."

With a wet, ripping noise, Ryouko had unsheathed her Kokaku. Large, sharp and pale yellow with red spots, she whipped it through the air threateningly. Red-Head turned his head towards Hat-Man for a moment.

"Jotaro. It seems we are at an impasse."

"Mmm."

Red-Head sighed and Hat-Man angled his head towards the ground, obscuring his eyes behind the brim of his cap. They dropped their suitcases on the ground at the same time, and they unsealed themselves with a click as they hit the concrete.

_Phooosh_

Pressurized steam filled the air, hot and thick. It filled Ryokou's lungs and distorted her sense of smell. Hinami turned and ran in the other direction, towards Anteiku.

_Mom…_

Ryokou lunged forward with her kokaku as it clashed with an edge. One of their quinques, then. Something whizzed by her in the steam, casting a green glow into the cloud. An ukaku. It impacted the nearby wall with a thud. She lunged forward again, and through the clearing steam she could see them holding their quinques. A large, purple bludgeon and a bright-green hand cannon, respectively. They stared impassively at Ryokou as she bared her teeth. She would not fall here today!

_Mom…_

* * *

"I'm all done, Mr. Yoshimura." Kaneki had pulled on his coat, and was positioned to exit.

"Good job today, Kaneki." Kaneki turned towards the door, before Yoshimura continued.

"Oh, Touka will be back tomorrow. So things should be a little easier on you."

"Oh, okay." Kaneki shuddered.

"_Back to the days of Touka yelling at me…" _Kaneki thought glumly.

LINE BREAK

"_Touka's a good worker… But Mr. Koma's a lot easier to work with."_ Kaneki walked along the sidewalk as the rain dripped off of his umbrella. Some young looking men passed by him.

"But man, that was crazy. I've never seen a ghoul before." Kaneki's eye widened as he heard them talking.

"They looked completely human. It was kinda sick after she turned, though. Wish we could see what happened." Kaneki looked towards the ground, and picked up a sheet of destitute paper laying on the ground.

"_Saw a ghoul…?"_

Kaneki looked at the bottom of the paper.

"_Hinami…"_

* * *

Ryokou kneeled on the ground, sucking a large amount of air into her lungs. Red-Head approached her as Hat-Man continued to stare into the floor. She glared into sunglasses. They gave no emotion away, as a deep frown was etched into his face.

"Wh… Why? Do you take some sort of perverse thrill in slaughtering us like cattle?" The frown lessened, and a pondering look crossed his face. Silence reigned for a moment, before he answered.

"No, I don't. But I am tasked with protecting humans, so I shall perform my duties diligently." He stepped forward. Ryokou attempted to raise her Kagune, but the exhaustion from the years not spent fighting were catching up to her. The other man turned to face away from them.

"But I am not cruel. I shall give you a swift death."

* * *

"_Damn it… He's not answering." _Kaneki put his phone back into his pocket as he ran down the sidewalk.

"_Hinami… Mrs. Fueguchi… If what I'm imagining is happening..." _Kaneki slowed to a halt. He looked into the sidewalk.

"_What could I… What could I do about it?" _He closed his eye tightly. Images of Hinami smiling and Mrs. Fueguchi filled his mind. Faint footsteps splashed through the puddles in front of him.

"_What about this? I have to be strong for Hianmi's sake." _The splashing grew louder as the runner approached Kaneki.

" _I may not be strong, but I won't stand here and do nothing!" _Hinami crashed into Kaneki, tears running down her face as she cried.

"Hinami? Thank god…" Hinami looked into Kaneki's eyes as she sobbed.

"M-My mother… She's… U-Ugh…"

"_Mrs. Fueguchi…" _Kaneki's eye hardened.

"Let's go." They ran and ran until they reached the alley where the scene was unfolding. Kaneki saw the scene unfolding in alleyway, but pulled Hinami into a doorway as one of the men turned away from Mrs. Fueguchi. The man swept a shaking hand across his face, rubbing his eyes below the brim of his hat. Hinami tried to sidestep Kaneki to see what was happening.

"N… No, Hinami!" Kaneki felt fear run through his body.

"_What do I do… What the hell do I do?!"_

Mrs. Fueguchi looked towards the sky, smiling as she did. Red-Head raised the cannon towards the back of her head.

"For what it is worth, I am sorry that it had to be this way. Goodbye." Ryokou ignored him, and stared towards the heavens.

"Hinami. Live on."

A green spike lanced through Ryokou's head, the green glow glinting off the man's sunglasses. She slumped forward, and fell over onto the pavement. Rain pooled around her body, and blood soon joined it.

* * *

"Morning." Touka entered Anteiku and saw Yoshimura cleaning at the counter.

"Touka."

"Hi, sir. So you are here. The sign's up on the wrong side." Touka explained as she pointed to the door." Yoshimura closed his eyes.

"Anyway, you won't believe how badly I missed the mark on my exams!"

"Touka…" Yoshimura spoke softly. She took note of his solemness.

"Will you come upstairs with me?"

"Sure…?" Touka was confused by his manner.

They entered one of the rooms upstairs. The employees of Anteiku were gathered, a palpable silence blanketing the room.

"Yomo… You too? What happened…?" Yoshimura took in a breath of air.

"Mrs. Fueguchi was killed by ghoul investigators." Touka stayed silent, before clenching a fist. Yoshimura continued.

"She was trying to protect Hinami." Touka whirled around and punched the wall.

"...What about Hinami?"

"She's sleeping in the back."

"...Did they see her face?"

"Unfortunately, it could not be helped." Touka hunched down on her heels and touched the floor.

"Aw man… How could this happen?"

"We'll be keeping Hinami here at Anteiku here for a while… And when the time is right, I'm thinking of relocating her to the 24th Ward." Touka stood up quickly, and glared at Yoshimura.

"You're kidding, right?! She can't survive in the shithole by herself!" She yelled. The staff bowed their heads and looked into the table. Touka continued ranting.

"Let's kill the Doves! Every last one of them! Before they find out where Hinami is!" She motioned towards Yomo.

"We got Yomo here too. If we all work together…" Yomo opened his eyes, and looked at Touka from his position against the wall.

"...No." Everybody looked towards Yomo.

"If a Dove dies in the 20th Ward… They'll consider the area hostile to Doves. If that happens, they'll keep sending more and more Doves here. Until they hunt us all down. You have to understand, Touka…"

"But-"

"Touka." Yoshimura cut her off.

"Yomo is right. We can't lay a hand on them… That is the best choice for everyone's safety."

" "Best"...?" Kaneki looked over to Touka, who was glaring into the floor.

"One of us gets killed and we sit here with our heads up our asses… That's your idea of what's best…? Hinami lost her parents to the Doves… It'll be tragic if we don't retaliate!" Yoshimura closed his eyes.

"...What's tragic isn't that we can't retaliate…" He glanced at Touka.

"What's truly tragic is being consumed with vengeance and not being able to live your life."

Touka was taken aback, but then glared at Yoshimura.

"What're you… Trying to say?!"

Touka turned around and stormed out of the room. Kaneki stared at the empty frame.

"U-Um…"

"Don't worry about it. She's dealing with a lot of things right now." Yoshimura looked up and at the couch, where Kora and Irimi sat.

"Kora, Irimi. Yomo will give a description of the investigators. Don't lay a hand on them, and please urge our customers to stay alert."

"Okay." They said, before leaving the room. Yoshimura turned to Kaneki again.

"It's nobody's fault. Even we ghouls have to hesitate to confront saving grace is that Hinami is safe, just as Mes. Fueguchi wished…" He turned away and closed his eyes.

"If only I had noticed your call… I'm sorry…" Kaneki looked at the floor.

"If… If it was Touka and not me… that showed up… Maybe Mrs. Fueguchi would still be…"

"... Don't blame yourself, Kaneki."

* * *

The hot water ran down Kaneki's bare skin as he stared into the tile wall of the shower.

"_... If I had Touka's strength… Would I have fought those ghoul investigators?... They exterminate ghouls for the public's safety… Generally speaking, it should be that the ghouls get ostracized… It's the ghouls fault for killing and eating people… They're not doing anything wrong…" _Images of Hinami and Mrs. Fueguchi raced through his mind.

"_They're not doing anything wrong…" _

Kaneki leaned against the wall and began to cry.

"_I couldn't do a damn thing…"_

The lilac, star-shaped birthmark on his shoulder started to burn.

LINE BREAK

" Strange." Jotaro scratched at his shoulder, which was burning. Kakyoin looked at him, moonlight reflecting off of his sunglasses.

"Hmm? What did you say?" Kakyoin inquired.

"Nothing."

"Mmm." A terse silence radiated between them. Kakyoin broke it.

"Today, when that woman-" Jotaro glared at Kakyoin.

"We're not talking about this right now." Kakyoin turned away, and looked down the street.

"Fine."

The click of heels against concrete was the only sound in the quiet, dim night.

* * *

Joseph ran the patterned headband through his fingers. It's rough texture grated against his skin, but it didn't bother him. Suzy was in bed right now, sleeping soundly. It was on nights like these that he liked to stare out into the night sky. While usually cloudy, the night sky was filled with stars tonight.

Jotaro had called a few weeks ago, wanting to know of his _Jiji's _younger days. It would make sense, given how Jotaro upheld the family tradition. Joseph was pleased at first, given that he knew Jotaro thought them mere fairy tales, but...

But.

That name Jotaro had said.

Granny Erina had never spoken of what had killed his grandfather, and Speedwagon had only given him an inkling of the menace that killed his ancestor, given that Joseph was a Joestar.

When they had spoken together, they did so in hushed tones. He may have acted idiotic in those days, but Joseph was no stooge. He could tell that whatever they spoke of, they didn't want to summon it back by speaking of it.

The star on his shoulder burned, and Joseph tied Caeser's headband around his skull.

* * *

"Oh?"

A vague stinging sensation flooded Dio's body, and Jonathan's brand burned. It reminded Dio of a half-hearted, watered down Hamon blast. He sat up in his chair. The pull tugged him towards the window, and Dio opened the curtains to gaze upon the city. Far into the city, neon and silver moonlight reflected off of the glass supertowers, and the lights of motorized carriages moved through the streets.

"Even now, Jojo, you reject me?"

The skull lay non responding upon the nearby table, it's dark sockets drilling holes into Dio.

"Even you must remember what I said long ago, about how we could do great things together. You should be honored by my belief that your body is the only one fit for me."

The skull still did not respond. Dio turned back to the window.

"Your pitiful attempt at warning your descendants with some kind of signal disgusts me." Dio shuttered the curtains and returned to his throne.

"But, in mere days, I shall have returned to my position. I shall begin looking for your descendant." Dio swirled the red liquid in his wine glass, and scratched Jonathan's skull in a twisted parody of a loving caress.

The burning subsided.


	8. Competence

Mado examined the chip domino mask, the plastic bag crinkling under his grip.

"Your tirelessness never ceases to surprise me… I can see why you graduated at the top of your class." Amon glanced at the ground.

"I merely did what I was supposed to do as a Ghoul Investigator." Ippei looked over to him, about to say something, but Amon continued on.

"At this rate, we can finally make our move." Amon smiled thinly, his expression almost imperceptible. Mado chuckled darkly.

"We have our tools and the actors are in place. All there's left to do is step up to the stage… I can't wait to see how No. 723 will feel about this…" At this moment, Ippei spoke.

"About that, sir…" Amon and Mado looked at Ippei, who faltered for a second under their intense stares. Nevertheless, Ippei continued.

"Suspect Ryokou Fueguchi was terminated last night." Mado's eyes narrowed. A bead of sweat rolled down Ippei's forehead.

"And why was I not informed of this?" Ippei gulped.

"HQ has transferred the case from you to First Class Investigators Kujo and Kakyoin, and has ordered you to routinely patrol the 21st ward." Mado's eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"Oh? I thought they had been promoted to paperpushers. Hm. Well, good on them to finally get a case." Amon took on a puzzled expression, confused by Mado's attitude change.

* * *

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, who are those investigators Ippei spoke of?" Mado smiled faintly, and waved his hand dismissively.

"Oh, just some old colleagues of mine. You needn't worry about them taking the case. It's a testament to their competence, how they finished off No. 723 so quickly." Mado clarified. Amon stared ahead, and Mado changed the subject.

"A tad annoying, though, how HQ foisted us off to patrol the 21st."

"What do you mean, sir?" Mado squinted, and widened his right eye.

"Nothing but decrepit mansions for the most part, and nothing else. No high value targets."

* * *

Touka's hood flapped in the wind, and the Rabbit mask sat heavy on her face. From her vantage point atop the light pole, she could see the two of them.

It was them. The man in the hat and the red-head.

They murdered Mrs. Fueguchi.

The smug bastard had a smile on his face, his red hair waving lazily in the breeze. Their suitcases swayed at their sides.

Touka could have sworn that she'd seen them somewhere before. But, it didn't matter.

Mrs. Fueguchi… Mr. Fueguchi… Hinami. All the other ghouls they had killed. They would all have justice.

Touka leapt from the light pole, unsheathed her ukaku, and struck downwards at the red-head.

_CLANG_

Touka was blasted backwards into the wall, a large crack forming from where she hit.

"_Dammit… Those… Shitheads…" _Through the haze of hot steam and pain, Touka could see that Red-Head has a mildly amused expression on his face. Hat-Man had unsheathed his quinque, a large, purple serrated blade, and had blocked Touka from killing his partner.

"_Yare Yare_… Right now?" Red-Head adjusted his sunglasses. Hat-Man started to step towards her, and Touka _moved._

"Jotaro! Dodge!" Hat-Man rolled out of the way, and Touka leapt to the side as a flurry of emerald-green shells bombarded the brick wall beside her. Blood trickled down the side of "Jotaro's" face. Red-Head glowered at her.

"Kakyoin. She's Ukaku-Type."

"Hmm." Touka's rage simmered. These assholes were tenacious. Kakyoin tilted his head, the sunlight shimmering on his sunglasses.

"Call it a hunch, but is this retribution for the other night?" Kakyoin inquired. Touka stayed silent, so Kakyoin continued.

"Perhaps an appropriate response, but what happened could not be avoided. It was for the best, that she accepted her end." Touka's rage boiled over. How dare they. _How dare they._

"**You…**" Touka sprinted forward and clawed for Kakyoin's throat. Jotaro swung his quinque forward, and the serrated blade tore through Touka's flesh as she swayed to avoid being sliced through the center of her body. She flipped backwards and landed on the pavement, covering her wound.

_CRACKCRACKCRACKCRACKCRACK_

A volley of emerald's launched forwards, cratering in the pavement and sending a cloud of dust into the air. When it cleared, Touka was gone.

"Hmph. So she had enough brains to know when to run away." Jotaro muttered, and Kakyoin sighed, wiping away the rain on his sunglasses.

"Rabbit… An ukaku-type. She's killed many investigators, based on the way she moves." Jotaro approached, and stood next to Kakyoin.

"We've gotten rusty."

* * *

"_Fu...Fuck." _Touka clenched her hand around the wound, sting pain arcing up and down her arm.

"Damn… It… Those pieces of shit are dead."

* * *

"I'll be going home now, sir." Amon bowed respectfully to Mado, who smirked.

"Goodnight, Amon-kun. I'll be seeing you tomorrow." Amon and Mado parted ways, walking down the sidewalk in opposite directions. Mado walked in the direction of the CCG main office, and...

Something was not right here.

Mado tilted his head, inhaling deeply. Hm. In the corner of his eye, Mado saw something move in the shadow of the alleyway. Pursuing the shadow deeper into the alleyway, Mado cornered them by a staircase. The person reeked of ghoul. In the lamplight, the ghoul's features were obscured. Mado smirked

"I'm glad I caught up with you. Will you be a challenge, or just another low ranking scumbag for me to dispose of?" Mado dropped his suitcase on the ground, and...

* * *

The ghoul fell face-first into the pavement, clattering against the ground. In the lamplight, Mado could see a figure that stunk of blood and ozone, the two smells divided like water and oil. He licked his lips, and Mado opened one eye, grinning wildly. This one would do finely in his collection.

"Mmmm… You smell new. What kind of kagune will a scumbag like you have?" Mado flicked at the switch on his suitcase. The figure's features were obscured by his greasy hair and the dim lamplight, save for a thin smile.

"Come now… There's no need to be rude. You were merely a figure on the street before, but circumstance demands that I approach to make an offer." Mado's grin grew wider, and he stopped toying with the lock on the suitcase.

"Oh? What could a ghoul have to offer me, a ghoul investigator?"

"I have heard tales of how you eliminate ghoul's and how you loathe their species… What I could give you is…" The man shifted and… _posed?_

ゴゴゴゴゴ "Eternal youth… With my power, Death will never wrap you in his icy claws. You will never fall in battle, and ghoulkind will learn to fear you…" ゴゴゴゴゴ

Mado's grin fell, and he glared at the man. Working with a ghoul? No… Mado would never accept help from a ghoul. This one, however…

"Immortality? Even humanity, superior to ghoulkind in every way, has not achieved immortality. How would a gutter-rat like yourself achieve undeath?" Mado readied his suitcase, putting it on the ground and laying his hand on the top of it. The man's previously thin smile stretched into a grin, and his golden hair shimmered in the lamplight.

"I am no mere gutter-rat. I pulled myself from the unwashed masses long ago, and gained power and prestige that neither humanity or ghoulkind will ever achieve…" The man's hair flexed in the air, casting snake-like shadows on the ground in front of Mado. The smell of blood grew thick, and Mado found himself paralyzed by the man's unholy aura. The man's pearly-white fangs glittered in the lamplight as he licked his lips seductively.

"Won't you break the restraints shackling you to mediocrity?"

Fueguchi One clattered on the pavement next to Mado as a flesh bud drove itself into his brain.

* * *

Kaneki shuffled through the coffee beans on the shelf.

"_Which can's the dark roast beans? _Kaneki thought as he looked through storage. Touka entered, looking for something. Kaneki turned to Touka, who noticed his look.

"...What?"

"Um... I used the wrong beans. Where do we keep the espresso beans?" She turned away and glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

"_... Is she gonna yell at me again…?_ She pointed to a tin with a blue label.

"Don't let it happen again. Use this one with the blue label…" Touka grabbed it off of the shelf, and a lance of stinging pain radiated through her arm.

"Agh…!" Touka fell to her knees, dropping the coffee tin on the floor, beans scattering everywhere.

"Touka?" Kaneki stood, a concerned look on his face.

"Leave me alone!" She stood up, pushed Kaneki out of the way and stormed out of the storage room. Kaneki soon followed, looking at the stains on his hand.

"_Blood…?" _Yoshimura passed by.

"So she... Attacked the Doves…" Yoshimura murmured to himself.

"Touka attacked the investigators?... Why?" Yoshimura didn't respond.

"She needs to get her wounds looked at."

"No."

"Huh?" Kaneki looked up at Yoshimura, eye wide.

"I said… **No.**"

"What are you talking about?! She's bleeding…!" A thin frown was etched into Yoshimura's face.

"Attacking a Dove means she's prepared to suffer the consequences. It's not our concern whether she lives or dies."

"What…? But you said we help each other at Anteiku…"

"So do you think that the ghouls at Anteiku can stand up to several hundred, several _thousand_ investigators on our own?" Kaneki clenched a fist.

"I understand... you make your decisions… For the greater good. But I… Don't know a thing about what it takes to attack an investigator… Or the laws of the ghoul world either. That's why I want to see it for myself… Before I decide what I'm going to do!" Yoshimura gave no response, facing away from Kaneki, who walked down the hallway to help Touka.

"...Good…"

* * *

"What?" Kaneki held out gauze and a pair of scissors.

"I brought some…"

"I don't need it."

"But you're bleeding... " Touka glanced down at her wound.

"It's none of your business." Kaneki stayed silent. Touka glared up at him.

"Stop scampering around. It's annoying."

"..."

"You're just a human.

"I have some ghoul in me too…"

"Acting like you're one of us… if you're so concerned for me, go kill those stupid Doves for me…" Touka grinned maliciously. Kaneki looked at the floor, expression desolate.

"Maybe you could if you used Rize's kagune. Like how you did to Nishiki. Can you do it?" Kaneki didn't respond.

"_You can't, can you?" _Touka hissed.

"A wuss like you wouldn't have the balls or resolve." Touka continued to rant.

"I can't depend on the Manager or Yomo. I know that it doesn't matter if someone like me dies, and I know some humans are friendly, but… I won't stand for ghouls like Ryokou or Hinami being unfairly killed. You don't know a damn thing. You haven't seen anything." Kaneki glared at the floor, and clenched a fist.

"Like you said, I can't kill anybody… I don't think the existence of investigators is wrong... And I don't think you're right either… But seeing Mrs. Fueguchi in her last moments on the day, I strongly felt… Whether it's a person or ghoul dying, if it's somebody I know, I can't stand it. If… You died…" Kaneki closed his eye.

"I'd be sad."

Touka glanced at Kaneki, before looking away.

"W-Whatever! So… What is it that you're trying to say?"

"I want you to teach me how to use the Kagune." Kaneki stated. Surprise crossed Touka's face.

"I won't kill the investigators, but… I'm tired of being helpless."

* * *

"Come, Mado. I have a job for you." Dio gestured for Mado to come forward, and he stepped forward out of the shadow. Mado's greasy hair covered his face, and his quinque was packed in its case, and hidden beneath Mado's disheveled coat.

"Whatever do you need, Lord DIO?" Dio smirked, and swished the blood in his wine glass.

"In exchange for me lending power, I need you to find someone."

"Who? I'll find whatever corner they're cowering in, Lord DIO, and I'll smite them to ash." Dio waved his hand dismissively.

"No no, none of that. I merely need you to bring them to me, or at the very least, their blood." Mado grinned excitedly, and his eye widened. Dio looked down at him.

"A man, with a star-birthmark on his shoulder. I shall reward you greatly, if you do as I ask." Mado bowed, and walked out of the mansion.

"I shall not fail you, Lord DIO!"

Dio smirked to himself, and scratched Jonathan's skull.

"What a doddering fool."


	9. Definition

"_She's late…" _Kaneki sat on the stairwell outside Anteiku, waiting for Touka to show up. She had agreed to teach him how to use his kagune, but it had been near an hour since she messaged him.

"_Where is she…? It's been 40 minutes… It seems like I'm always waiting for her…"_

"Hey." Kaneki looked over at the source of the voice. Touka was approaching.

"Yo." Kaneki gave her a dry smile.

"Hi… You're la-" Touka stepped past him and entered Anteiku.

"Come with me."

Silence radiated through Anteiku, its dimly lit decor growing more indecipherable as the sun began to set. Touka and Kaneki entered the back, and she approached a door as Kaneki pointed at a light.

"Should the lights be on up here…?"

"Hinami gets scared if it's dark…" Kaneki looked up the staircase and into the upper floor.

"_That's right… Hinami's staying at Anteiku. Wonder if she's getting any sleep."_ Touka led Kaneki down a stairwell. A trapdoor lay at the end of the hallway, and Touka pulled the door open and climbed down.

"_There's another basement…?"_

"Down here." Kaneki followed suit, and the cool steel of a ladder pressed into his palms. A sewer like space filled with many winding tunnels lay below them. Large, dank pillars held up the ceiling.

"Where are we?" Kaneki inquired.

"An underground passage. The Tokyo ghouls made it a long time ago to run from humans." Touka glanced at Kaneki.

"Don't go any farther than this hall. Go alone, and you'll get lost and never come back."

"O-Okay…" Touka stood by a pillar, looking around the sewer.

"Hey, Touka... What're we doing here?"

"I'm gonna teach you how to use the kagune." Touka shrugged off her jacket, and it fell to the ground in a heap.

"Not really teach, actually. You'd never get it by me explaining it to you. I'll teach you the same way I was taught." Touka glared at Kaneki out of the corner of her eye.

"You might die, so brace yourself."

"W-What?"

With a flash, Touka raced towards Kaneki and punched him in the stomach. The wind was knocked out of Kaneki, and Touka brought her leg back and kicked. Kaneki was launched into a railing, denting it deeply before he fell to the ground. Touka approached and grabbed Kaneki by his eyepatch. She pulled it off and let it dangle on her finger.

"Not getting a sense of danger, are you?" She raised Kaneki's pointer finger with her boot, and pressed on the tip.

"T-Touka?"

"I'm going to break it." She stepped down.

_SNAP_

Kaneki wailed in pain, and Touka glanced down at him, a bored expression on her face.

"Relax, it'll be healed by tomorrow. But…" Touka's eye flashed red.

"This won't heal so fast." Kaneki breathed deeply, filling his lungs with air as he tried to distract himself from the pain.

"If you do, I'll make sure you're disposed of."

"_She...She really doesn't care if I die!" _Touka stuck down with her ukaka, and Kaneki reacted instinctively. With a metallic clang, his kagune deflected hers. Kaneki shuddered as Touka met his eyes, their red shining in the dark.

"There you go… Although, the kagune you showed the other day was way stronger. Let's go back upstairs." Kaneki stumbled to his feet and followed Touka.

Quietly, Kaneki's broken finger realigned itself.

* * *

"The shapes a bit different, but you;re a rinkaku ghoul like Rize." The stairs creaked as they stepped up them. Rinkaku ghouls are built sturdy and they heal quickly." Kaneki glanced down at his finger as the throbbing pain began to subside.

"They're superior to other types in terms of toughness. Add Rize's immense strength to that, and if you train properly you could be both offensive and defensive." Touka stood in the kitchen, tapping her foot against the linoleum.

"But first you have to get a sense of how to pull out your kagune at will.

"Say I teach you close combat for times you can't pull out your kagune… Besides, you'll need to bulk up."

Touka peered at Kaneki.

"Do a hundred sit-ups, back extensions, push ups and squats everyday!"

"Huh?" Kaneki stared at Touka in shock, who pulled his shirt collar upwards, revealing his bare stomach.

"Ugh…"

"What?! You gonna fight like this?! Put on some muscle!" She narrowed her eyes and stared at Kaneki's bare shoulder.

"Huh. Didn't take you for a tattoo kinda guy." Kaneki swatted Touka's hand away and pulled his shirt back down.

"I'm not. I was born with it." The door chime rang, and they both turned to look at Uta as he entered with a paper bag.

"Mm. Now that's something you could have mentioned." His thin frown and sunglasses gave nothing away.

"Hey, Uta."

"U-Uta... What're you…"

"Sorry. Did I interrupt something?"

"N-No... it's not what you think… Wait, what're you doing here?" Uta pushed his sunglasses off using the tips of his fingers.

"I finished the mask, and I wanted to deliver it right away… I was just going to drop it off, but since you're here… I'd like to see how it looks on you."

* * *

"Put your ears through here… That part goes down…"

The padding of Kaneki's mask rubbed against his skin. His mask was stark black and leather, with a facsimile of teeth printed onto the mask where Kanek's mouth was. A zipper allowed him access to his real teeth, and an eyepatch covered Kaneki's human eye.

"Well? I figured the eyepatch was kinda your thing, so…"

"I wear the eyepatch… On the other eye." Kaneki deadpanned .

"I know." Uta glanced sideways.

"I wanted to see the eye you were hiding."

"_The cold feel of leather… Peeking at the world from my other eye… Strangely exciting."_

* * *

"Come now, Amon-kun." Amon looked up. Investigator Mado stood in front of him. His hair was greasy and stringy, more so than usual. Mado's suitcase shook as his hand shuddered for a moment. Strange behavior. Nevertheless, Amon stood up and began to follow. Soon, he noticed that Mado had hailed a taxi.

"If you don't mind my asking, sir… Why did you hail a taxi?" Mado looked over, the dark bags under his eyes visible.

"Don't fret, Amon-kun. Investigator Kujo has requested our help in locating the ghoul from the other nights spawn, and it's good to foster relationships with colleagues. We'll merely be spending some time in the 20th ward, and then we'll head back to the 21st." Amon accepted this answer, and stepped into the taxi after Mado. Silence permeated as they rode to the 20th Ward office.

"I see that look you're giving me, Amon-kun. What's on your mind?" Mado glanced at Amon.

"It's nothing sir… But are you feeling okay?" Mado leaned against the window, and waved a hand dismissively.

"Ah… Just too many late nights. Ghoul's never rest, and by effect I don't either."

* * *

"_Twenty minutes past… When we were supposed to meet."_

"Yo."

"You're early today… What's that?" Kaneki looked over at the bags Touka held.

"Our clothes." She tossed one over to Kaneki.

"Change into that. I borrowed them, so don't get them dirty."

* * *

"_A school uniform… I look like a cosplayer in this. I'm a college student. What's this for anyway? It'll be beyond embarrassing if somebody I know sees me like this."_

"Hey." Touka wore a matching uniform, and her eyes were obscured by the glasses she wore.

"It fits you perfectly. It doesn't look too unnatural… You still have a kid's face too…But you could use a touch up…" Touka reached up and scruffed Kaneki's hair.

They walked in silence from the plaza, people passing them by as they saw only two normal high schoolers. Touka stopped and looked upwards, and Kaneki shot her an annoyed glance.

"Mind explaining what we're doing? Wearing a uniform, messing up my hair… What's this all about?" Kaneki looked up and saw what Touka was looking at.

A tall, pristine steel and glass building loomed threateningly upwards.

"Uh… This is?"

"CCG. Commision of Counter-Ghoul's branch office."

"Wait… You're not thinking about…"

"Not "Me". "We". " Touka pulled on his tie and dragged him forward.

"Y-You gotta be kidding! We can't just go barging into enemy territory!"

"Shut up. Look at this." Touka gestured with her thumb towards a bulletin board. Various posters were tacked inside of the glass.

"Wanted posters?"

"Yup. For ghouls."

_...Assembly Kai Kunimaru murder… 20th Ward mass murder feeding… Disappearance of Investigator Ippei Kusaba in the 21st Ward…_

"Rize, Tsukiyama… That one from the 21st Ward is new… Hinami's." They looked on at the posters, taking in their information.

"The Dove's take tips from the public."

"I didn't know…" Touka pushed the fake glasses up her nose.

"We're Shuyu high school students today. I'll do the talking, so just nod your head."

"H-Huh…? Okay…"

They approached the revolving glass doors that led into the 20th Ward Office, and climbed the stairs.

"I'm a bit nervous without my eyepatch…"

"You'd be easier to recognize with it."

"Mm… I don't know about that…"

Touka and Kaneki stepped into the lobby and took in the scene. Sunlight poured through the glass windows, warming Kaneki's skin. A receptionist shuffled some papers, and Touka walked up so she could speak to said receptionist.

"Um… We have information about the little girl ghoul." The receptionist looked up from her papers.

"You're here with information? Thank you." The receptionist handed Touka a sheet of paper.

"Please fill this in with your name and contact information."

"You want just mine?"

"Yes."

The receptionist led them to a waiting area. A couch and a chair sat divided by a glass coffee table.

"Please have a seat. Somebody will be with you shortly." Kaneki and Touka sat down on the couch, and Touka began to scribble down fake information. Some Doves passed by, murmuring to each other.

"... The Gourmet's at it again… Murata's team already has their hands full… Missing Fishermen… Empty box..." Kaneki propped his head up with his hand, and followed the investigators with his eyes as they passed through an airport-security style gate. He looked over at Touka.

"What's that gate?" She looked up, and saw what Kaneki was talking about.

"Oh…? That's an RC scan gate."

"RC Scan?"

"I don't know too much about it either, but a ghoul's RC factor is about ten times higher than a humans. If they analyze a sample of our cells, they can tell right away. That gate's designed to respond to it. That's why this is as far as we can come." Kaneki's eyes widened.

"It's still under development and it costs a lot, so it's not widespread yet. I hear some big companies are adopting the same machine the CCG uses."

"Wow… So if technology improves and it becomes widely used…" Touka looked at the ground.

"... If that happens, we'll just go back underground." A new woman approached them, a friendly smile on her face. She gave them a small wave.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm Ruisawa with the intelligence department." Ruisawa looked at them closer.

"Well, aren't you just the cutest tipsters. It's nice to meet you." Touka and Kaneki shared a glance.

"_Is she for real…?"_

* * *

"You know that river near Kasahara Elementary School? That's where I saw her… That girl in the poster with the clover dress." Ruisawa hummed to herself and jotted Touka's lies down onto her clipboard. Touka glanced at Kaneki.

"She was kinda disheveled… Right, Kanemoto?"

"Yeah, she was covered in mud and everything…" Kaneki said with a fake smile on his face.

"_Clover dress… She's talking about Hinami, right? But… Kasahara's on the edge of the 20th Ward… So she's trying to interrupt their investigation with false information…"_

"Did you notice anything else? Anything at all?" Touka frowned.

"No… Not really… Um…" Ruisawa put on a neutral expression as Touka looked at her.

"Ghouls are way stronger than humans, right? Do investigators fight them with, like, guns?" Ruisawa clapped her hands together.

"I'm sorry. I'm not allowed to disclose that kind of information. But! Don't worry! The Main Office recently sent some highly trained investigators here! And one of them is tall and rather handsome. They're the ones who took care of the mother ghoul. I'm sure they'll find this ghoul too." Touka glanced down, a pleased expression on her face.

"I see. That's good to hear, but… It must break their hearts… To have to kill such a young girl." Ruisawa smiled wide.

"Not at all. Ghouls aren't human. They deserve to be exterminated."

Touka and Kaneki made their exit after that, seeing as there was no more information to give.

"_That lady told us a lot, but... Was it worth the risk even coming here? Even so… "Ghouls deserve to be exterminated", huh?" _Touka was silent as they walked to the doors.

"Ow!" A man in a white coat, a ghoul investigator from the looks of it, had bumped into Kaneki's shoulder as they passed each other, knocking Kaneki onto his knees. The investigator kneeled down, extending a hand, his long locks of white hair hanging over his face.

"I'm sorry, young man. Are you alright?" Kaneki readjusted his uniform, smiled nervously, and looked up at the investigator.

"I-I'm fine… !" The haunted look on the investigator's face sent a chill down Kaneki's spine as the man seemed fixated with Kaneki's shoulder. Kaneki got up from his position on the floor and started to speed walk out of the office.

"I-I'm sorry…"

"You! Boy!" Fright raced through Kaneki, and Touka shot him a glare. He slowly turned around to face the investigator. The man's eyes were sunken in their sockets, giving them a dark effect.

"Your information about the girl… I'm Mado. I'm helping with that case. Would you mind telling me a bit more… Inside?"

* * *

Mado stode over to them, suitcase swinging and hand outstretched.

"Don't worry. I won't take up too much of your time." Kaneki and Touka regarded him suspiciously. Mado's eye widened.

ゴゴゴゴゴ "**Please."** ゴゴゴゴゴ

Touka waved her hands rapidly to appear flustered.

"I-Im sorry… This took longer than we expected… We have plans…" Mado held up his hand, each finger spread out. He glanced at Kaneki from under his greasy hair.

"**Five minutes. **Five minutes is all I'm asking."

"I understand, but…" The RC Scanner loomed threateningly.

"_If we're taken inside… We'll have to go through that gate… If we pass through it, we'll be discovered."_

Mado marched up to Kaneki, and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You saw the girl too, didn't you?" He grabbed Kaneki's forearm and pulled him forward.

"**You'll do nicely." **Touka watched in abject horror as Mado pulled Kaneki towards the gate.

"I'll keep it short, so come with me." Mado glared at him out of the corner of his eye in malicious glee, smirking as he went along.

"_H-Hold on! The transplanted organ inside of me will set the gate off…! Stop… Let go of me…! STOP!" _Mado pulled Kaneki through the gate. Neither of them spoke as silence reigned around them.

The alarm didn't go off.

Mado's grin faded, and a look of shock and deep sadness set in. Kaneki silently let out a sigh of relief.

"_What…? Nothing… Happened…" _Touka slammed her hands down on the reception desk.

"Excuse me! We have to go to cram school, so we really need to go! We'll be back, I promise!" She looked over at Kaneki.

"Kanemoto, let's go!" She sprinted out of the building with Kaneki hot on her trails. A tall, dark haired man passed by them.

* * *

Dammit. The boy slipped right by him. What a scrawny and sniveling thing. Whatever Lord DIO wanted with him, Mado didn't know. Whatever. It wasn't his place to question his savior, anyway.

"Mado." Amon approached him, a concerned look on his face.

"Is everything alright? What're you doing down here?" Mado glanced at the ceiling and held his chin.

"Well, two students came in with information. Something wasn't right about them. So I had the boy who was acting uneasy go through the gate… But it seems I was wrong. I must be losing my touch. I'll take a look at their statement later." Truth be told, Mado was just going to drag the boy down to the morgue and butcher him, harvesting his blood for Lord DIO. But it seemed that fate worked in his favor. If he brought the boy to Lord DIO…

"By the way, Kusaba's memorial service is going to be held in the auditorium…"

"I heard. I won't be attending. I'd rather spend that time working." Mado gave Amon a coy glance.

"Won't you?"

"Uh… Yes…"

* * *

The difference between the blood of humans and ghouls was the base taste. Ghoul's, from what little interaction Dio had with them, tasted remarkably sour, while human's were a rainbow of flavors. Take for example, that young man with the glasses.

His blood had been sweet, the innocence of his soul still remaining, but with a bitter undertone of ambition. Probably a law student or something of the sort, his goals aiming for respect among his field. He wouldn't get any of that now, however, since he was currently a dried husk floating downstream somewhere.

* * *

"Rank Three Investigator Kusaba…Lost his life recently. He was likely killed in retaliation for the mother-daughter ghoul case. Let us honor Investigator Kusaba and his courage with a moment of silence!"

The auditorium was deathly quiet as the many investigators bowed their heads. Nakajima, Kusaba's partner, spotted Amon among the crowd. When the service was done, Nakajima approached Amon.

"Amon." Said investigator looked over at Nakajima.

"Nakajima. Wanna go… Grab a bite to eat?"

* * *

Amon and Nakajima sat at the bar, waiting for their food. Nakajima smiled faintly to himself, remembering all the times the three of them had met at the bar.

"I'm glad he wasn't married… It would've been a pity… He seemed to look up… To you." Amon stared deeply into the wood making up the bar.

"I'm not…"

The cook set their ramen down on the wood.

"Here ya go." The cook noticed Kusaba's absence.

"Where's your buddy with the glasses today?" The cook took in their solemn silence, and left them alone.

"I always… Order this combo here. Everytime I ordered it, he would always say… "Again, Nakajima? I'd think… "Just shut up and eat man." Nakajima stared into his ramen.

"That idiot… Who am I gonna buy lunch for now?" Nakajima grabbed at his eyes in an attempt to stem his tears.

"We were partners… What about our case? Goddamn it…"

Amon tipped his ramen bowl back, and slurped loudly. After taking in all the noodles, he slammed the bowl down hard on the hardwood.

"There was no reason for Kusaba to be killed… This world is wrong. We have to correct it." After a moment of silence, Amon continued.

"Nakajima… Please buy me lunch sometime. Although… I'm a bigger eater than Kusaba." Nakajima looked at him in surprise.

"You trying to blow my paycheck?"

* * *

"_Huff… Huff… Huff…" _Amon breathed deeply as he pulled the cables attached to his wall.

"_A man who tried to uphold justice… Children who were robbed of their loved ones… The people who fought to protect others… Why did they have to lose their lives?"_

"_I'll change it. I will change it."_

Amon's face was contorted with determination as sweat ran down his burning body.

"_This world is wrong."_


	10. Condolences

Kaneki flipped through the newspaper absently. No customers were coming in, so why not take a break and catch up on some news?

"_Huh…?"_

Kaneki's eye widened as he read one of the articles.

"_Investigator Ippei Kushaba, age 26, was discovered in the Tokyo Bay harbor recently. His body had been exsanguinated. The police have not made any connections between Investigator Kusaba's murder and the fishing boat massacre the occured a week ago. With an attack on ghoul investigators in the 20th Ward two days ago..._

The article continued on with a description about a figure in a rabbit mask. Kaneki's eye narrowed.

"_Touka…"_

At that moment, Touka passed by. She plucked the newspaper from Kaneki's hands and looked at it.

"You should be working." Touka stated, not looking at Kaneki.

"That man in the article… He was a ghoul investigator… Did you…?" Touka glanced out of the side of her eye.

"No… But it doesn't matter. I won't die until I kill all of them." Touka got up and turned around.

"_Being born a ghoul… Her outlook on life must be completely different." _Kaneki thought.

"I'm taking some coffee to Hinami." Touka said as she aimed to leave the room. Kaneki looked at the floor.

"About that… She doesn't seem to be feeling well. I don't think she's been sleeping. I'm a bit worried…

Touka walked over and poked Kaneki in the chest.

"She's not sleeping… because you lent her that long-ass Sen whatevers book." She turned away and started to walk to the staircase.

"There's only one way to cheer her up. That's why we risked our lives at the CCG."

" "_Only one way" "... Getting revenge against the investigator that killed Ryoko? But… Will that really bring Hinami comfort?"_

* * *

Hinami rubbed at her eyes as someone knocked on her door.

"Mmm…?"

Touka walked in, carrying a cup of coffee and a plate.

"Hey, Hina. Sorry, were you sleeping?"

She set them down on the table and smiled at Hinami.

"Heard you haven't been eating… You have to eat. You're still growing."

"Yeah…" Touka took notice of Hinami's attitude and sat down next to her on the couch.

"It's alright. You don't have to worry about a thing. I'll take care of everything." Touka leaned over and ruffled Hinami's hair.

"I'll show you a world much bigger than this tiny room." Hinami leaned over, and saw the newspaper under Touka's arm.

"What's that…?"

"Oh, it's a newspaper. The manager subscribes to a few of them." Hinami looked in awe at the paper.

"Wow… so many words...:" Touka took it and handed it to Hinami.

"Keep it. You're studying, right? It'll teach you about the human world… It's kinda interesting too."

Hinami blushed.

"Thanks, Touka. I'll ask Kaneki if I… Come across any words I don't know."

* * *

No… It looked like their tip was just phony after all. The bridge yielded no results.

The soft gurgle of the water was interrupted as Mado kicked a stone in.

It was of no matter though. He could still make something of this, yes, yes… They would come and he would be waiting for them, that weak-willed boy and that arrogant bitch…

Lord DIO would be most pleased, yes, yes…

* * *

Hinami paused at the word. It was one she didn't know, and Kaneki wasn't here… Hinami started to flip through a nearby dictionary until she found it.

"_Condolences: Expression of sympathy, sadness… Kinda like me…"_

Hinami looked over at the newspaper again, and Touka's words echoed through her head as Hinami read about the dead man.

"_**I'll take care of everything."**_

* * *

"Did you lock the back door?" Touka asked as she pulled on her coat.

"Uh-huh." Kaneki responded as he did the same. Touka looked up the staircase.

"It's awfully quiet upstairs… Maybe she's sleeping?"

"I didn't get a response when I went up there today… That's an awfully long time to be asleep."

They both went up stairs to investigate.

"Hinami…? I'm coming in…" Touka knocked on the door, and then opened it.

An empty room greeted them.

"_Hinami… Why…?"_

LINE BREAK

Touka ran, and Kaneki followed her.

"Move it or I'll leave you behind!" Touka leapt to the rooftops. She thought of Hinami, and the newspaper.

"_Damn it… Hinami… Why do I always…?!" _The image of a purple-haired boy entered her mind.

" "_I don't give a damn about them… If you want to do it, do it alone, sister." " _Touka grimaced.

"_Ayato…"_

Touka came to a screeching halt. Hinami's scent was in the air! Touka jumped down from her perch on the rooftop, and down onto the street. It looked like she was in some tunnel thing and…

"Yare Yare Daze."

* * *

"_This is near Kasahara Elementary School… Why-" _

Faint sobbing reached Kaneki's ears as he stood above the bridge. He looked over the edge. Hinami was sitting under the bridge, hunched up against the wall and crying. He jumped down and approached.

"Hinami… Can we go home?" Hinami stopped crying for a moment.

"No." Her answer took Kaneki by surprise.

"No matter where I hide… I'm going to be killed anyway. The newspaper said a man in glasses was killed… It was Touka, wasn't it…?"

"It-" Hinami cut Kaneki off.

"They probably think I did it… The people who killed mom are coming to kill me… So I have to keep running and running and running…" Kaneki didn't know how to respond, but noticed her holding something.

"Hina… What are you holding?" She looked up at Kaneki. Hinami was clutching a severed hand, a ring still on it's finger.

"...Mom.." Kaneki watched on with awful fascination.

"Why did this happen…? Aren't ghouls allowed to live…?" Hinami let out a wet sob, and Kaneki looked down, his hair covering his eyes.

"I went to the CCG… The enemy's lair… I talked to them directly… Hinami… They didn't know you. The only people who know about you… Is the two men that were there. Touka didn't kill the glasses man." Kaneki leaned down, and hugged her. Hinami's eyes widened, and she sniffled.

* * *

"_Damn… she must be out of battery…"_

Kaneki looked over, and saw the man standing at the entrance to the underside.

ゴゴゴゴゴ "You, boy. You must come with me. Great things await you." ゴゴゴゴゴ


End file.
